How I am Honoring Indigenous Sisters and Brothers

Today is National Indigenous People’s Day. As a white settler of European descent living with incredible gratitude in the beautiful traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, I am making the following commitments:

to better educate myself about the history, the legacy, and the generations of damage done by colonization and systemic racism to Indigenous peoples in this country

to become more aware of and acknowledge my settler privilege in Canada and how this continues to affect Indigenous people in both large and small ways

to be an ally and to wholeheartedly listen

to follow the advice of National Chief Perry Bellegarde that every Canadian should “create space” for Indigenous Canadians by “opening their hearts, their minds and their spirits

to use my platform as a teacher to promote healing, respect and connection

to educate my children so they can do better than my generation

to cultivate a greater number of meaningful, trusting and respectful relationships

Dr. Robert Joseph says “At the heart of reconciliation is love.” I couldn’t agree more. If authentic and meaningful reconciliation is important to you, and I very much hope that it is, what will you commit to today? If you are looking for some inspiration – check out this incredible list. I’d love to hear from you.

love & pranams,

carla

Note: The image above is a Bentwood Box carved by Coast Salish artist Luke Marston. The TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada) Bentwood Box is a lasting tribute to all Indian residential school survivors. It is located at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba.